Junk food like chips, cookies, candy, and prepackaged snacks can be hard to resist, especially if you are stressed, anxious, or bored. Junk food may make you feel good in the moment, but too much can make it difficult for you to concentrate at work or school, and ultimately leave you feeling tired and irritable. A diet with too many snacks that are sugary, starchy, or high in fat or sodium can lead to serious health problems, including diabetes, heart disease, and obesity. To stay away from junk food, adjust your diet and your daily habits. Look for outside support to help you stick to your lifestyle change.

Steps

Method1

Adjusting Your Diet

1

Buy healthy snacks instead of junk food. Start by including only healthy snacks on your grocery list. Write down healthy options like fresh fruit, vegetables, and nuts. Try not to buy junk food when you go grocery shopping.[1]

When you go grocery shopping, avoid the center aisles of the grocery store, as this is often where junk food is stocked. Do not turn down the junk food aisle when you are shopping to avoid temptation.

When you are done grocery shopping, review your cart and remove half of the junk food in your cart. Challenge yourself to buy 50% less junk food every time you go food shopping.

You can also reduce your daily intake of junk food. For example, if you typically eat one chocolate bar at lunch time and another after dinner, try splitting one chocolate bar and having half with each meal instead.

If you usually eat three small bags of chips per day, try cutting back to just two.

3

Have healthy snacks on hand. To make it easier to stay away from junk food, keep healthy snacks on hand at your desk at work or in your bag at school. Pack snacks in resealable baggies so you have something healthy to munch on, rather than going for junk food.[3]

For example, you may pack sliced apples and carrots as snacks. Or you may bring hummus and crackers as a crispy snack that is low on fat.

4

Go for healthy snack options when you eat out. If you eat out a lot at work or school, reach for the healthy snacks rather than the junk food. Look for fresh fruits or vegetables you can buy as a snack, rather than a bag of chips or candy. Buy packaged nuts or dried fruit, rather than processed snacks.[4]

If you know there is not a lot of choice at your work or school when it comes to healthy snacks, plan ahead and pack healthy snacks in your bag so you have them.

5

Allow yourself one cheat day a week. It can be hard to deprive yourself of junk food completely, especially if you are used to eating a lot of it. Allow yourself one day a week where you can eat what you want, such as a small amount of junk food for a snack. This will help you manage your cravings and keep you from feeling deprived.[5]

Do not go overboard and stuff yourself with every junk food imaginable, as this can lead to stomach issues. Instead, opt for one or two junk food items on your cheat day.

6

Eat out less. Eating out can cause you to indulge in junk food and food that is not healthy. Try to cut back on eating out and cook dinner at home instead. Make dinner with friends or your partner. Create a weekly dinner party tradition where you all sit down for a home-cooked meal.

You can also cut down on eating out at work by bringing your own healthy lunches instead.

Method2

Adjusting Your Daily Habits

1

Do another activity instead of eating junk food. Whenever you feel a junk food craving coming on, try to distract yourself with another activity, such as going for a walk, doing a hobby you like, or talking to a friend. Focus on another activity and fill your time with something positive, rather than reach for the junk food.[6]

For example, maybe you avoid buying a bag of chips at the store by calling up a friend and chatting with them instead. Or perhaps you avoid the candy aisle by going for a walk around the block instead.

2

Do not keep junk food in your house. It can be hard to resist the temptation to have junk food when you know it is close by. Remove this temptation by not keeping junk food in your home. This way, you will not be tempted to eat it.[7]

3

Address anxiety or stress with exercise and healthy food choices. One of the major reasons why you eat junk food is because you are feeling emotions like stress, boredom, or anxiety. Whenever you feel these emotions coming on, try to focus on healthy things you can do instead of having junk food. Pour your anxiety or stress into exercise. Pick a healthy food option rather than junk food.[8]

For example, if you are cramming for an exam and you are feeling stressed, go get a healthy snack like fresh fruit or a veggie wrap. Skip the junk food and go to an exercise class at the gym instead so you feel less stressed out.

4

Use positive affirmations. Positive affirmations are short phrases or sentences that you can say aloud to help you focus and remain optimistic. You can say positive affirmations in front a mirror first thing in the morning or right before bed to place yourself in a positive mindset. Use positive affirmations whenever you feel a junk food craving coming on to remind you to stay away.[9]

For example, you may use positive affirmations like “I will not eat junk food today,” or “I deserve better food than junk food.”

Method3

Getting Support

1

Ask your friends and family to respect your lifestyle change. It can be difficult to cut out junk food if other people in your life aren’t supporting your decision. Let your family, friends, and anybody you live with know that you are trying to cut out junk food. Ask them not to tempt you with foods you are trying to avoid.[10]

Let them know that you are not judging their eating habits. You are simply asking them to respect the changes you are making in your own diet.

If anyone you spend time with persists in trying to get you to eat unhealthy snacks, you may need to confront them about it. Explain how you feel politely, but be firm. If that doesn’t work, you may need to avoid spending time with them for a while.

2

Get an accountability buddy. It’s easier and more fun to make a change in your lifestyle if you’re doing it with a friend. If you have a friend, family member, or significant other who is also interested in cutting back on junk food, talk to them about the changes you are making.[11]

Share tips with your diet buddy. For example, if you have a recipe for a healthy snack that you really enjoy, let them know about it.

You can also compare notes about your progress and pitfalls, and reach out to each other when one of you is feeling tempted to fall back into old habits.

3

Get professional support, if you need it. If you’re really having a hard time breaking your junk food habit, and it’s causing you distress or affecting your health, talk to a health care professional.[12]

Your doctor may be able to refer you to a dietitian who can help you set appropriate goals for yourself.

If you have a junk food addiction with underlying emotional causes, a counselor might be able to help you address the issues that are contributing to your junk food habit.